The Blue Ridge Parkway is more than a scenic drive – it is an American treasure.

As the most visited park in the National Park System, the Parkway is one of the grandest ways to experience the Blue Ridge Mountains, especially here in the Asheville area using the Dry Ridge Inn as base camp. The opportunities for fun are endless.

The Parkway took nearly 52 years to complete. In September of 1935, work began and ended near Cumberland Knob as part of President Roosevelt’s new public works agencies, including the Work Progress Administration and Civilian Conservation Corps. Twenty-six tunnels had to be constructed (25 of them in North Carolina) as well as 168 bridges and six viaducts. The Parkway was completed in 1987 with the construction of Linn Cove Viaduct, a complicated concrete bridge that wraps around a mountain.

In addition to the sweeping vistas of never ending mountain tops a closer view of the areas around the Parkway will reveal dozens of rare and endangered plants and birds, as well as wildlife such as deer, wild turkeys, and black bears.

Whether you visit the Parkway during the spring, summer, fall or winter, the diverse, native flowers in bloom and the bustling wildlife won’t disappoint.

The Dry Ridge Inn is situated just off the Parkway in the small, friendly town of Weaverville. The Inn can be your base camp for exploring all the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Blue Ridge Mountains have to offer. So come on out and enjoy our home and our magical mountains.